Our on-campus school district, Dakota Memorial School (DMS), is a remarkable place. Teachers at DMS use trauma-sensitive approaches to learning in balanced learning environment classrooms.
What does that mean? It means we understand that for most Ranch kids, school has been a place of failure. To survive amidst chaos and traumatic experiences most of us can't even imagine, they developed "undesirable" behaviors that make it hard to learn.
Kids at the Ranch block out noises; have trouble sitting still; and suffer from great anxiety, depression, frustration, and fear of additional failure. So, we meet these amazing kids where they are at...with respect, with a belief in their potential, and with an environment that meets their needs for movement, support, and experience.
We do all of this while teaching the same rigorous curriculum as the best public schools. And it is only possible because of the phenomenal educators who choose to work with these Ranch kids.
Sara Meixner is the Mathematics teacher on our Fargo campus. It is her job to ensure that our kids learn and understand the concepts of algebra and geometry and higher math. She does that with children who often enter her classroom over two years behind their peers. And she knows that she is teaching them much more than "x's" and "y's."
Sara says, "Many of our students arrive with a history of being unsuccessful in math. They may have missed school for a variety of reasons, which means they have gaps in their knowledge base. As a math teacher, of course, I help them succeed with math, but I also help them succeed by learning how to problem-solve and then applying it to situations they may encounter every day. I want our students to be able to say, 'I can do this!'"
Sara is one of over 40 educators who come to work, each day, to help Ranch kids find success.
In His love,
Joy Ryan, President/CEO
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch
P.S. Click here to make an online donation in support of the education and treatment of our amazing kids.